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Fact check: Napoleon's penis was sold during an auction after his death
1. Summary of the results
The statement about Napoleon's penis being sold at auction is fundamentally true, though with important caveats. The item was purchased by urologist John K. Lattimer in 1977 for $3,000 [1]. The alleged penis has a documented chain of ownership, beginning with Dr. Francesco Antommarchi who reportedly removed it during Napoleon's autopsy in 1821, then giving it to priest Abbé Anges Paul Vignali [1]. The item was publicly displayed in New York in 1927 [1] and is currently owned by the Lattimer family [1].
2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints
Several crucial pieces of context are missing from the original statement:
- The item's physical condition is notably unusual, described as resembling "a piece of leather or a small, shriveled eel" [2]
- The authenticity is questionable - only about 10 people have actually seen it [2]
- There are significant historical discrepancies: 17 witnesses present at Napoleon's autopsy did not report any penis removal [3]
- The item was part of a larger collection of unusual historical artifacts maintained by Professor Lattimer [4]
- The penis was initially smuggled to Corsica before entering the commercial market [1]
3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement
The original statement oversimplifies what is actually a complex historical narrative with several potential issues:
- It fails to acknowledge the questionable authenticity of the item, which is a crucial aspect of its history [3]
- The statement presents the auction as a singular event, when in fact the item passed through multiple owners and sales before reaching Lattimer [1]
- The story fits into a broader historical context of celebrity body part collection, which was a cultural phenomenon that deserves acknowledgment [4]
- The statement's simplicity masks the fact that this is part of a larger historical fascination with collecting unusual artifacts, particularly those associated with famous figures [4]